New Post

I haven't posted anything here since the first half of May. Seduced by facebook, I guess. I don't like chitchat, what I call cocktail party conversation, though I don't know anyone who gives or goes to cocktail parties. But I like the chitchat on facebook. I like talking about the weather, what I had for breakfast, what I'm reading or writing. I like hearing about other people's gardens and dinners.

In among all this chatter are serious comments about life and politics, plus a fair number of interesting links. It's a great way to keep track of old friends I don't often see, and I've met some new people I like.

But facebook is set up for short entries, designed for chitchat. I think I want to discuss some topics that will take more room. So here I am back at the blog again.

Pause to get coffee from the fresh pot.

I went to CONvergence yesterday. It's a large (in the area of 5,000 people) local con, more media than literary, but with enough literary programming to keep me happy. When I got to the hotel, it looked like Minicon, which is the legacy local con. A thin scattering of middle aged and elderly fans were in the hotel's lobbies. There were few costumes. No one looked especially neat or cool.

"What is this about?" I thought. Then I remembered it was 11 am.

I stayed six hours. As time went on, more and more people appeared, younger and a lot cooler looking than the morning people. Many wore costumes, especially steampunk, which is this year's theme. Even people in fannish civvies made fashion statements, such as good punk hair cuts.

By the time I left the place looked ready to rock. I would have stayed, except I had an offer of a ride, and I live on the other side of the metro area from the con hotel.